79-10 Amend Chpt 516, Fair Housing - gender identity or expression

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It shall be unlawful to deny any person access to or membership or participation in any multiple-listing service, real estate brokers' organization or other service, organization or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings or to discriminate against a person in the terms or conditions of such access, membership or participation, on account of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, handicap, familial status, national origin, or gender identity or expression. Section 5. That Section 516.07, Administration, Discrimination Complaint Service and Enforcement, of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Lakewood, currently reading as follows: 516.07 ADMINISTRATION, DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT SERVICE AND ENFORCEMENT. (a) This chapter shall be administered by the Director of Community Development, and the Director shall also be responsible for the establishment and administration of a discrimination complaint service. (b) The discrimination complaint service shall be available to any person who alleges that his rights have been denied relative to housing and/or financing for housing because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, handicap, familial status or national origin. (c) Any person who claims to have been subjected to a discriminatory housing practice shall file a complaint in writing within 180 days of the alleged violation with the Director.. The complaint shall contain such information and will be in such form as the Director may require. (d) If the Director determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe a violation has occurred, he shall attempt to conciliate the matter within five working days of the filing of the complaint by utilizing conciliation conferences with all interested parties and such representatives as the parties may choose to assist them. These conferences shall be informal, and nothing shall be made public by the Director regarding the. conferences unless all parties agree thereto in writing. During this period the Director shall make such investigation as he deems appropriate. (e) If the Community Development Director and the Law Director determine that the person complained against has violated this chapter, the Law Director shall prepare and issue a directive requiring that person to cease and desist from such unlawful conduct and within fifteen calendar days take such affirmative action as will effectuate the purpose of this chapter. If after the fifteenth day, the situation has not been rectified, the Director of Community Development shall initiate the .proper legal action through the Law Department of the City or through the complainant's legal counsel, or the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, whatever the Director deems appropriate. (f) If at the conclusion of the informal hearing, the Director of Community Development and Law Director determine upon the preponderance of the evidence presented that the person complained against has not violated this chapter, the Director shall issue an order dismissing the complaint.